We Can Make It Into Something Wonderful

On August 21st 2015 Crossdresser Heaven grew from a blog into a community. On a Saturday 555 days ago we opened the doors to the community offering forums and a private social network. A day later our first Ambassador, Claudia, would join us as member number 30. A day after that Codille would join as member number 63. Together Claudia and Codille founded our Ambassador team.

Codille would go on to become Managing Ambassador, and grow the team of Ambassadors to 26 members. Each sharing in the mission to make Crossdresser Heaven a safe, welcoming and supportive place for everyone in the transgender community.

As of this writing our community stands at 10,001 members strong, with more than 1,000 members participating in the forums, chat and community every week. Almost half a million articles, forum posts and more are viewed every month on Crossdresser Heaven from people around the world seeking hope, encouragement and friendship.

Yet it almost never happened…

I completed the last of my surgeries for my transition 5 years ago. I was finally able to experience the oneness of who I am every moment. My life had moved on. Crossdresser Heaven was slowly dying as no new articles were published, monthly views dipped below 20,000 for the first time since June 2008 and it was costing significantly more to run than we made in advertising revenue. I had a choice to make – I could let Crossdresser Heaven pass away, or revive it into something special.

In hindsight the decision seems easy – as it always is when the path to success has been already trod. At the time I had no idea whether Crossdresser Heaven could be revived, or even whether I had the inclination to focus on a part of my history long gone by. I had never tried to build a community or start forums, I had no idea how to provide chat – as those who were around for the early versions of our chat system can well attest 🙂

We Can Make It

Then something special happened when I opened the doors to our community – the first Ambassadors joined and Crossdresser Heaven went from “I” to “We”. You’ve probably heard tell of an African proverb, “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I have no idea whether it was actually a proverb from Africa, but it’s sentiment so clearly applied to the journey Crossdresser Heaven had before it.

Our Ambassadors brought their passion and ideas, hard work and love for the community in such abundance that I was inspired. I saw the community of friendships blossoming, the love and support, to borrow another (actually African) word, the Ubuntu – the compassion and humanity towards others. Crossdresser Heaven was no longer about my journey, and it no longer depended on me alone.

It was now a place where I could enable others to bring their light into the community. A place where others could reach out a hand of friendship to someone seeking a home.

Into Something Wonderful

We are not perfect. We don’t make every call correctly, or respond to every request as timely as we could. Sometimes the server decides to take a nap, or life intrudes and our Ambassador team is not always available.

But we are here.

You are here.

Crossdresser Heaven is as much your community as anyone on the Ambassador team. You have the capacity to offer love, encouragement, support and friendship.

Because Crossdresser Heaven was never really about one person, or one team, but about us. Together. Discovering the authentic truth of our own lives, and letting our light shine as a beacon for others.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu – May all the beings everywhere be happy and free and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom of all.

Vanessa, we have come a LONG way Hun!!! Congrats on our, it is ours now right, baby hitting the 10000 registered members mark. I honestly never thought I would be so blessed to be a part of participating let alone molding such an amazing community and helping so many along the way!

Indeed we have – On the tech side I still remember the Armageddon that happen when we changed community software for the first (and last) time. And the countless web hosts we went through looking for a place to grow fast and reliably.

I thought we agreed we don’t talk about version 2.0 of the site, how long did that last 4 maybe 5 days … LOL. All part of growing pains, sometimes you skin your knee, our in our case have the place go haywire. It is good we can laugh about that now because it is far in the rear view mirror. I still see twists and turns ahead, but we have the team to handle it, and other members ready to jump in to help when we need it. We truly are blessed by our Ambassadors dedication and an amazing community that has come together.

Vanessa,
You may never have imagined how many lives you would touch when you began this community. Words cannot express the gratitude i and many others have for your decision to help others who are traveling the same or similar paths as your own. I’d been walking alone for so many years-fearful and alone in the world. Til a wonderful day in August(23rd I think) hen I joined this community after getting wonderful welcome from Codillle… I knew from that first day that I had found my home. No longer need I feel alone. There were hundreds then thousands of others with whom i could share my triumphs and setbacks and receive love and support and have no fear of ridicule or shame. There is so much more that I want to say but it comes down to two phrases of a few words. The first is “we love you” You chose to not fade away into society but to boldly tell your story and ty to contnuer to help others.

The second is even simpler. “‘THANK YOU”. This site is a beacon to the CD/TG/TS world that says ” Come here! You are welcome and you are not alone!” The only thing I can do to repay you is to try my best to continue your efforts to let people know that they are worthy of love and respect and have the right to live openly and with no shame the lives they have hidden from the world . and the world is a far better place because Vanessa lived and loved and shared herself with the world. I only hope one day the same can be said of me and if it does, I will count my life as a success!

Dear Vanessa,
Congratulations, 10,000 CD/TG’s, SO’s and supporters is a fantastic achievement.
As one who followed your blog for a few years before the site became interactive (can’t remember when I joined and didn’t know I had a number), I am more than proud, I am honored to be a part of the best CD/TG site on the internet.
CDH has touched so many lives in so many ways including being largely responsible for my continued presence on this planet.
The feeling of belonging to the sisterhood here is probably what continues to bring the members flooding in to become part of the most amazing, loving community I have ever experienced.
The one thing that is never said enough is how much we love you for allowing us all to be a part of your life and enriching our own in the process.

Wow, over ten thousand members, a wonderful achievement. Within that number though are some very special people. I don’t mean those of us who are perhaps now out and about having been deep in a closet when we joined. I’m not referring to the members who for years have had the confidence to express who they are as they choose to do. I’m talking about a different group of people.

For some, Crossdresser Heaven has been more than just somewhere to meet others of like mind. It is greater than a place to chat, share stories and discuss underwear, footwear and nightwear. Crossdresser Heaven for these people was, or still is, a lifeline, a place where they gained a new value in life. A place where they were allowed to feel loved, accepted and worthy of a life they were, until then, contemplating ending.

Ten thousand members is a wonderful figure, especially when we consider that some of those lives might not have still existed had it not been for CDH.

I am delighted to see those people here. As a ‘famous’ Vulcan once said: “Live longer and prosper.”

Me to have embraced my womanhood eventhough where I live has be hidden to certain point as I have completed part of my selection clothes that I like wear even if is out of style it’s my choice I know what like wear an what don’t we all have our own taste in clothes just because don’t care or like what someone else is wearing don’t jugde or knock it we’ve come long way us girls and sister’s need stick together] zena

Vanessa – I don’t think I could thank you enough for this site. A little less than a year ago I was hospitalized after almost taking my own life, partly because of CD issues I had kept suppressed for over 30 years. A little while after I found CDH, and with it love, encouragement and acceptance for who I was. And support to be the person I always wished I could be, and am now becoming. The site has been a beacon of hope and support for so many, but what I will most remember is that you helped this lost soul turn her life around.

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